In Three Day Road by Robert Boyden there are many examples of effective language and form that help create an intriguing novel. Boyden effectively shows what life was like for the Cree in the early 1900s both in Canada and at war in Europe. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the novel, Boyden uses literary devices that demonstrate what kind of world the characters live in and how they will react to their surroundings. One example is the use of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is used to present the kind of work cousins Elijah and Xavier will do in the war and the kind of people they will become. In the first chapter they manage to successfully capture and kill a marten. Xavier describes: “Elijah swings again and again the marten screams. It makes me sick to my stomach." This is an example of foreshadowing because Xavier is uncomfortable with killing while Elijah does not have the same reluctance. Once the marten has been killed, Elijah states: "We are great hunters." This also foreshadows how skilled they will be at tracking and killing when they become soldiers in war. Both of these examples of foreshadowing connect to later events in the novel. Elijah ends up being the more greedy killer and even scalps his victims, while Xavier feels more remorse for killing. The pair also became two of the most successful sharpshooters in the war and were often chosen to act as scouts or to lead raids against the enemy. Boyden also effectively uses a simile to show how the use of morphine makes Xavier feel. Xavier says: “I watch my body tremble in the cold rain. But morphine is very good, a warm blanket that wraps me like a moose robe." This similarity shows that when Xavier takes morphine he feels very comfortable. He hasn't felt the warmth of a moose's robe in a long time, so the morphine gives him a sense of home and coming back to a place where he feels comfortable. Boyden also used the form effectively with the use of flashbacks. Flashbacks are used to reveal the evolution of Xavier, Elijah, and Xavier's aunt Niska over the course of the novel. Flashbacks demonstrate the similarities between the discrimination Niska faced in her homeland from the wemistikoshiw (white men) and the discrimination Xavier and Elijah faced during the war, despite being very skilled soldiers. Flashbacks help the reader by connecting the stories of all three characters to create a combined plot and theme. The flashbacks also symbolize how Xavier and Niska are both eager to return to their peaceful Cree lifestyle; as both were discriminated against and their lives were destroyed by the white man. Three Day Road and JK Rowling's Harry Potter series share the same theme of friendships tested by jealousy. In Three Day Road, Xavier and Elijah's friendship begins when they are children. When they go to war together is when their friendship begins to be tested as jealousy sets in. Xavier becomes jealous when he feels that Elijah is being praised and treated better even though Xavier feels that he is just as good, if not a better soldier. Similarly, in the Harry Potter series Harry and Ron were best friends since they met when they were children. As the series progresses, Ron becomes frustrated with Harry's special status while Ron is only seen as Harry's average friend. Ron often feels neglected and unloved living alongside Harry's fame. This dynamic puts a strain on their relationship and creates mistrust between them. For example, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is selected for.
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